Did Two Neighbors in New York City Create America’s First Gold Coin?

Two men were next-door neighbors on Cherry Street in New York City in 1787. One was Ephraim Brasher, a famous gold- and silversmith. The other was George Washington. Both were passionate about the coinage for the new United States, and Brasher set a goal of striking the first gold coin for the nation.

Did Washington and Brasher spend long winter evenings in front of the fire designing America’s first gold coin? No one knows for sure, but it’s certainly possible, because in 1787 Brasher did strike the first American gold coin. It’s known as the Brasher Gold Half Doubloon, and today it’s carefully preserved at the Smithsonian Institution® in Washington, D.C.

Now, the Smithsonian has officially authorized the minting of this limited-edition Brasher Gold Half Doubloon for your collection. Each comes struck in 99.9% pure gold and is the exact size and weight of Brasher’s 1787 coin. In addition, a painstaking process was necessary to reproduce the edges of the coin, leaving every Brasher Gold Half Doubloon unique -- no two are alike! Certified as Gem Brilliant Uncirculated (BU) condition by Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC), each comes in a sealed holder.

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